Free CXC Agricultural Science Paper 1 May/June 2018 past paper from 2018. Includes a worked answer key. Open the PDF, take a timed test, and study with AI on Caribbean AI.
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CSEC Agricultural Science Paper 1 May/June 2018 - Free CXC Past Paper with Answers
Free CXC Agricultural Science Paper 1 May/June 2018 past paper from 2018. Includes a worked answer key. Open the PDF, take a timed test, and study with AI on Caribbean AI.
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Every question from this paper as text. See the answers and worked solutions. Questions are the property of the Caribbean Examinations Council; Caribbean AI is not affiliated with CXC.
A country is said to have food security when it can
feed most of its population
provide a protein-rich diet for everyone
secure food for everyone during periods of natural disasters
provide safe and nutritionally balanced food for everyone at all times
Which of the following is the MOST likely reason for the proliferation of praedial larceny in the Caribbean?
The fines are too small.
There are no laws against it.
It is difficult to catch the person committing the act.
Vendors do not have to show origin of farm produce.
Which of the following can be considered roles of agriculture in the economy of Caribbean territories? I. Contributing to the GDP II. Reducing the regional food import bill III. Securing foreign exchange
I and II only
I and III only
II and III only
I, II and III
A bio-terrorism attack on agriculture may result in I. an increase in food prices II. destruction of ecological habitats III. destabilization of a system of food security
I and II only
I and III only
II and III only
I, II and III
Which of the following is NOT considered a good agricultural practice?
Slash and burn
Aerobic composting
Cleaning and sanitizing
High temperature treatment
Which of the following are benefits of organic farming? I. Biodiversity II. Income to farmers III. Ecological balance
I and II only
I and III only
II and III only
I, II and III
Which of the following is MOST likely associated with crops grown in wet climatic conditions?
Plants are hardier than usual.
Irrigation is usually a major concern.
Yield per acre is usually higher than normal.
Disease and pest outbreaks are usually high.
Farm record keeping is important because it
allows for large farm profits
minimizes workload on the farm
provides information to analyse farm business
reduces the number of farm transactions
Legumes are especially important on organic crop farms because legumes
are easy to cultivate
provide a good cover
promote nitrogen fixation
have a high market demand
Items 10-12 refer to the following budgeting terms.
(A) Gross farm income (B) Net farm income (C) Gross margin (D) Expenditure
Match each item below with one of the options above. Each option may be used once, more than once or not at all.
This is the amount of money left after all deductions are made.
Gross farm income
Net farm income
Gross margin
Expenditure
This is the total income minus (-) total variable expenditure.
Gross farm income
Net farm income
Gross margin
Expenditure
This is the amount of money received before any deductions are made.
Gross farm income
Net farm income
Gross margin
Expenditure
Which of the following summarizes the principles of the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA)?
Protection of the European Union (EU) trade markets
Global integration for African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries
Reciprocal trade between ACP countries and the EU
Free movement of skilled workers in CARICOM member states
Which of the following is NOT true of a complete budget?
Provides an estimate of net farm income
Provides an estimate of farm expenditure
Contains only some items of income and expenditure
Can be used to compare profitability of other farm plans
Item 15 refers to the following graph of a demand and supply curve. Price ($) S1 S Ex E Di D Quantity (kg)
During Lent, people demand more fish than any other meat. This is represented by a shift from
D to D₁
D₁ to D
S₁ to S
E₁ to E
A business owned and controlled by farmers who use it to create surplus earnings that are divided among members is BEST described as
a farmers' club
an agricultural bank
an agricultural cooperative
an agricultural corporation
Interest, depreciation, insurance and taxes are all examples of
capital
fixed cost
variable cost
actual income
The government of a Caribbean country provides farmers with a rebate of 25% of the purchase price of agricultural equipment. Which of the following terms describes this arrangement?
Tax
Subsidy
Insurance
Price support
Fixed capital describes inputs such as
feed, chemicals, cash
tractors, sprayers, seeds
buildings, machines, land
labour, management, tools
Which of the following is considered a conventional farming system?
Aquaponics
Hydroponics
Trough culture
Contour farming
A mixed fertilizer of Grade 15:35:10 contains 60% plant nutrients. The other 40% of the fertilizer is referred to as
side dressing
top dressing
granules
carrier
Which of the following soil organisms is capable of converting atmospheric nitrogen to nitrates?
Fungi
Viruses
Bacteria
Protozoa
Which of the following structures is responsible for the increase in growth of plant stems?
Cambium
Phloem
Xylem
Cortex
In a germinating seed, which structure emerges first?
Plumule
Radicle
Epicotyl
Cotyledon
Translocation in plants refers to the
transport of organic and inorganic substances
combustion of organic compounds
absorption of certain ions
movement of water
The MOST water-conserving system of irrigating crops in the Caribbean is a
flood
drip
sprinkler
sub-surface
Which of the following is MOST likely to occur when crops are grown in an area with high relative humidity?
An increased incidence of fungal diseases
An increase in the rate of transpiration
The drying out of the surface soil
Reduced risk of fungal diseases
Which of the following is NOT a benefit of farm mechanization?
Farm operations performed on time
Better yield and quality of produce
Improved standard of living for rural farmers
Increased losses in crop handling
Which of the following weed control methods is considered to be biological?
Mulching with organic material
Spraying with a contact weedicide
Application of a systemic herbicide
Introduction of parasites to feed on weeds
The atmospheric gas being utilized in the manufacture of food by plants is
oxygen
nitrogen
hydrogen
carbon dioxide
Which of the following organisms causes root knot in tomatoes?
Virus
Fungus
Bacterium
Nematode
Which of the following strategies may be used by a plant breeder to improve crop quality?
Mutation and cover cropping
Selection and hybridization
Tissue culture and bench terracing
Hybridization and contour cropping
Which of the following BEST represents the mode of action of insecticides? I. Stomach II. Systemic III. Contact
I and II only
I and III only
II and III only
I, II and III
An advantage of the use of postharvest technology is that it results in
a reduction in loss due to spoilage
physiological breakdown
compositional changes
physical injury
Which of the following crops is LEAST suited for mechanical harvesting?
Tomato
Lettuce
Mango
Potato
Which of the following pest control methods can be categorised as cultural? I. Crop rotation II. Field sanitation III. Setting of insect traps
I and II only
I and III only
II and III only
I, II and III
The BEST time of the day to transplant seedlings is
early afternoon
late afternoon
late morning
midday
Which of the following types of chemicals can be applied to treat early blight in tomatoes?
Herbicide
Fungicide
Insecticide
Nematicide
The commercial application of ethylene to fruits accelerates the
ripening and even colour development
growth and development
ageing and senescence
ripening and shape
The processing of harvested produce does NOT allow for the
improvement in food quality
increase in plant population
killing of microorganisms
increase in shelf life
The purpose of the crop in the digestive system of a bird is to
store ingested food
absorb digested food
churn and grind food
secrete digestive enzymes
In rabbits, most cellulose digestion takes place in the
rectum
caecum
stomach
oesophagus
The first compartment of the ruminant stomach is called the
rumen
omasum
reticulum
abomasum
Which of the following organisms is the causative agent of Avian influenza?
Virus
Protozoan
Bacterium
Mycoplasma
Which of the following practices is optional in broiler production but compulsory in layer production?
Culling
Brooding
Debeaking
Deworming
Good brooding practices result in
I. better development of chicks II. faster weight gains III. increased egg production
I only
I and II only
II and III only
I, II and III
Items 47-49 refer to the following information.
A ram and ewe, both heterozygous for the trait, having horns, are mated.
What are the chances of a hornless offspring being produced?
25%
50%
75%
100%
If H represents the dominant allele for horns and h represents the recessive allele, the possible genotype of the offspring from the cross is
HH, HH, Hh, hh
HH, HH, hh, hh
HH, Hh, Hh, hh
HH, Hh, hh, hh
Out of a herd of 12 offspring, how many will MOST likely be homozygous for the horn trait?
3
6
10
12
The MOST common symptom of coccidiosis is
loss of appetite
difficulty breathing
green watery faeces
diarrhoea with streaks of blood
A likely DISADVANTAGE of artificial insemination in cows is
less disease transmission
cross breeding of local stock
less technical skills required
more technical skills required
A maintenance ration is one that has the nutrients needed
for the animal to increase in weight
to allow for some activities to go on
to keep the animal in a producing mode
to keep the animal alive in its initial condition
Which of the following is a sign of heat in rabbits?
Excessive noisemaking
Acceptance of the buck
Rejection of the buck
Loss of appetite
Bees are of economic importance to a citrus farmer because they
test fruits for ripeness
prevent praedial larceny
increase fruit production
biologically control pests
The queen bee in the hive is the female that is
sterile
fertile
smallest
sexually immature
Which of the following BEST explains how honey is purified after harvesting?
Heat to 80 °C, strain, allow to cool and bottle.
Heat to 100 °C, allow to cool and bottle.
Strain through a small strainer and bottle.
Leave to stand for 30 minutes and bottle.
The queen bee in a hive is fed with special food called
bee bread
royal jelly
bee wax
honey
Eggshell can be used as a feed supplement for layers because it supplies
magnesium
calcium
sulphur
sodium
Selecting eggs by weight, size and shape is known as
sorting
grading
candling
preparation
The live weight of a goat is 50 kg. The dressed carcass weight is 30 kg. What is the dressing percentage?
30
40
50
60